In U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,332, there is described a paddle massager in which pieces of meat can be subjected to a massaging action to distribute an aqueous solution, which has been injected into the meat, uniformly throughout the tissue thereof. A prior patent dealing with such massaging action is U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,630. A plant utilizing such a paddle massager and a maceration of the meat product before it enters the massager is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,398.
In prior massaging techniques, it has generally been thought that the massaging action should be carried out cold, i.e. at a relatively low temperature which is maintained by circulating a coolant through the jacket of the machine. A typical temperature of this cooling liquid, which is generally a glycol/water solution, can be about 23° F.
The massaging action is intended to uniformly distribute the treating solution into the muscle tissue of the meat. The solution can be a brine and normally includes phosphates, nitrate, nitrite, salt, flavor enhancers, proteins, binders fats or other meat treating agents such as preservatives.
The tradition has been to inject the meat with the solution, usually with needles under an elevated pressure under conditions in which the meat is normally cold at the time it is injected and the injectable solution itself is relatively cold. It is desirable to conduct the massaging action so that the product emerges from the massager in a relatively dry state, i.e. the marinade or treating solution is fully taken up within the body of the meat, leaving the surface free from or practically free from a liquid film.
These techniques have been used for all sorts of meats, including beef, pork, lamb and veal, and for practically any cut of meat in which a substantial body of meat must be tenderized or treated, for example, roasts, hams, shanks, loins and the like.
However, earlier systems have been found to involve a number of problems. For example, it has been found that, with conventional systems, a phenomenon may develop which can impede effective massaging. For example proteins released from the meat tend to bind with water of the treatment solution at a given temperature (depending on the composition of the treatment solution) and form a compound. This compound may be exuded from the body of the meat and act as an external coating or internal barrier. In either case, this compound impairs penetration, absorption and/or dispersion of the treatment solution throughout the cross section of the body and the result is an unaesthetic surface. It has been noted, further, that meat products which are treated cold following the injection may not develop the uniform internal coloration which is desired for many cuts of meat. Furthermore, the protein/water coating on the body of meat tends to reduce friction and thus the massaging effectiveness so that longer massaging operations may be required.
Still another drawback of earlier systems appears to be the limited breakdown of treating solutions like polyphosphates and nitrites by enzymes present in the meat so that such additives to the inject are not utilized completely or efficiently.